Chris Ashton sunk his future employers with the only try of an extraordinary game as injury-hit Saracens guaranteed a home quarter-final thanks to one of the finest defensive displays in the club’s history.

Saracens winger Ashton will play his rugby at the Stade Felix Mayol next season after agreeing to join the French giants following his latest disciplinary issue — a 13-week ban for biting — earlier this season.

But in only his third appearance since serving that ban, Ashton’s thoughts were solely on helping his current team record their second successive Pool 3 victory over the three-time European champions.

Chris Ashton scored the only try of the match as Saracens beat French giants Toulon 10-3

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His 60th-minute try, following excellent work from centre Nick Tompkins, saw Ashton shimmy inside, then outside Ma’a Nonu and beat Matt Giteau’s diving tackle. The score was converted by Owen Farrell and made it 15 games unbeaten in Europe for the champions. It also proved the difference between the two sides as Mike Ford’s French team of galaticos had to settle for a losing bonus point and qualification to the knock-out stages.

Farrell and Toulon half-back Leigh Halfpenny exchanged penalties in a brutal contest dominated by defences and lasting more than two hours.

Carrying with power and bravery into Toulon’s monstrous defensive line, No 8 Jackson Wray made huge inroads into his opponent’s defence and proved a constant menace. His defensive work was equally impressive against a massive Toulon side.

It was unquestionably Wray’s greatest day in a Saracens shirt while 21-year-old Tompkins more than held his own against Nonu.

Saracens winger Ashton will play his rugby at the Stade Felix Mayol next season

Saracens produced one of the finest defensive displays in the club's history on Saturday

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: ‘Everyone knows who’s not playing and the disruption we’ve had but for us to go toe-to-toe against more or less their full strength side showed the effort, especially defensive, that we showed all game was extraordinary.

‘There were some coming of age performances. Someone like Nick Tompkins up against two world-class centres, was magnificent.

‘Jackson Wray also stood up. He’s been good for a while but doesn’t get what he deserves. If he keeps playing like that he will. It was a heroic performance from the team.’

Flanker Michael Rhodes and on-loan lock Will Skelton both pulled off try-saving tackles late in the game.

After working out that crashing headlong into their opponents around the fringes of the ruck would deliver negative dividends, Saracens shifted their point of attack in the second half to avoid the massive collisions and absorb Toulon’s pressure.

Saracens director or rugby Mark McCall said 'there were some coming of age performances'

There were still some shuddering hits with Mathieu Bastareaud’s tackle on full back Alex Lozowski likely to live long in the memory.

But for all Toulon’s muscle, they did not quite have the craft to breach Saracens’ defences. With three ex-Premiership directors of rugby on their coaching staff — including former Bath heads Ford and Steve Meehan along with Leicester’s recently departed Richard Cockerill — Toulon had plenty of inside knowledge to call on.

But it was not enough as Saracens showed precisely why they are considered Europe’s most feared team.

Ford, who replaced Diego Dominguez as Toulon director of rugby in November, said: ‘If you’d said to me after round one (defeat to Saracens) of this group that we’d have qualified then we’d have taken it.’

‘We’re not too happy, because we lost. But we came for a losing bonus point so it’s job done.’

McCall indicated Mako Vunipola (knee) should return to action within four weeks while his brother Billy (knee) will be closer to six. Second row Kruis will be fit to face France.

Toulon director of rugby Mike Ford said it was job done as they 'came for a losing bonus point'